Electric Circus (nightclub)

Last updated
Electric Circus
Electric Circus wordmark.svg
DayGlo1.jpg
Dayglo art inside The Electric Circus
Electric Circus (nightclub)
Address19-25 St. Marks Place
Location Manhattan
Coordinates 40°43′45″N73°59′19″W / 40.729169°N 73.988682°W / 40.729169; -73.988682
Type Nightclub
Construction
Built1831
Opened1967 (1967)
Closed1971

The Electric Circus was a nightclub located at 19-25 St. Marks Place between Second and Third Avenues in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, [1] from 1967 to August 1971. The club was created by Jerry Brandt, Stanton J. Freeman and their partners and designed by Chermayeff & Geismar. [2] With its invitation (from one of its press releases) to "play games, dress as you like, dance, sit, think, tune in and turn on," and its mix of light shows, music, circus performers and experimental theater, the Electric Circus embodied the wild and creative side of 1960s club culture.

Contents

Flame throwing jugglers and trapeze artists performed between musical sets, strobe lights flashed over a huge dance floor, and multiple projectors flashed images and footage from home movies. Seating was varied, with sofas provided. The Electric Circus became "New York's ultimate mixed-media pleasure dome, and its hallucinogenic light baths enthralled every sector of New York society." [3] Its hedonistic atmosphere also influenced the later rise of disco culture and discotheques.

Experimental bands such as The Velvet Underground, jam bands such as The Grateful Dead, soul acts such as Ike & Tina Turner, and avant-garde composers such as minimalist Terry Riley and electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick played at the club. Other bands played there before they were famous, such as Raven, the Allman Brothers Band, Sly & the Family Stone, and The Chambers Brothers.

History

Early history

Arlington Hall, c.1892 Arlington Hall NYC.gif
Arlington Hall, c.1892

The cavernous ballroom space with a balcony originally consisted of four buildings built in 1831 as townhouses. When the neighborhood gradually became the heart of Little Germany, with a population of German immigrant workers, #19 and 21 were purchased in 1870 by the Arlon Club, a German music society, for their clubhouse. [4] The club moved, and a real estate developer bought 19, 21, and 23 between 1887 and 1888 and merged them into a ballroom and community hall called Arlington Hall, which hosted weddings, dances, political events and union meetings, among many other events. [4] In 1914 a shootout between "Dopey" Benny Fein's Jewish gang and Jack Sirocco's Italian mob, an event that marked the beginning of the predominance of the Italian American gangsters over the Jewish American gangsters, took place in the hall. [4] Arlington Hall also had some notable speakers including Police Commissioner Theodore Roosevelt (1895) and William Randolph Hearst (1905). [4]

During the 1920s, the buildings were bought by the Polish National Home, which combined them with 25 St. Marks Place for use by Polish organizations and a Polish restaurant. [4]

1960s: Warhol and The Velvet Underground

By the 1960s, the bohemianism and nightlife previously associated with New York's Greenwich Village was growing in what would later be called the East Village. The Polish National Home was turned into the Dom Restaurant the name came from the Polish for "home", derived from Polski Dom Narodowy ("Polish National Home") with Stanley Tolkin's "Stanley's Bar" where The Fugs played in the mid-1960s downstairs, slightly below street level. Jackie Cassen and Rudi Stern began leasing the ballroom on the floor above Stanley's Bar for their "Theater of Light" show.

Then in 1966 artist Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey who directed many of Warhol's films, and who became a sometime manager of the Velvet Underground sublet the ballroom from Cassen and Stern, and turned the Dom into a nightclub. The Velvet Underground was the house band, and their performances under Andy Warhol's influence were accompanied by many light effects with the added touches of projected movies and projected photographs, all going on at the same time. The experience was called the "Exploding Plastic Inevitable."

New management and closing

Later in 1966 the club, under different management by Albert Grossman, was briefly called the Balloon Farm and in 1967 the lease was transferred to Brandt Freeman Int'l, Ltd. the General partner of The Electric Circus Company. Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys was engaged as one of the first house bands under the new management. [5]

By 1970 the "tune in, turn on" hippie culture was in decline. When a small bomb, reportedly planted by a member of the Black Panther Party [2] exploded on the dance floor on March 22, 1970, injuring 15 people, the negative publicity accelerated the decline of the club; it closed a year and a half later in August 1971. [6] According to an AP news story that appeared in the Toledo Blade on March 31, 1970, the Black Panther Party denied any connection to the student, Ishmael Brown, who reportedly planted the bomb. [7]

After the Electric Circus closed, the building no longer functioned as a club or space for regular public performances, but the building was not significantly physically altered until 2003 when a major renovation eliminated the ballroom and converted the building into upscale apartments and retail space.

In the 1980s the building was used as an Alcoholics Anonymous dry disco for a period.

List of performers

The Electric Circus is mentioned (as a spontaneously fabricated supposed avant garde novel) in the television show “Succession” (S2 E5 approx. 20m). The actual club is depicted in a scene of Mad Men season 6, episode 3 ("To Have and To Hold", set in early 1968), during which Joan Harris and her friend Kate go out on the town. [20] [21]

The Electric Circus is also mentioned in Andrew Holleran’s novel Dancer from the Dance as the building where Malone lives. It is described as "a discotheque that began fashionable and white, and eventually became unfashionable and black."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disco</span> Music genre

Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric piano, synthesizers, and electric rhythm guitars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Reed</span> American rock musician (1942–2013)

Lewis Allan Reed was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band The Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Although not commercially successful during its existence, the Velvet Underground came to be regarded as one of the most influential bands in the history of underground and alternative rock music. Reed's distinctive deadpan voice, poetic and transgressive lyrics, and experimental guitar playing were trademarks throughout his long career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ike & Tina Turner</span> American musical duo

Ike & Tina Turner were an American musical duo consisting of husband and wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by Ike Turner's band, the Kings of Rhythm, and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. The Ike & Tina Turner Revue was regarded as "one of the most potent live acts on the R&B circuit."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric Ballroom</span> Performance venue in Camden Town, London, England

The Electric Ballroom is a 1,500-capacity performance venue and indoor market located at 184 Camden High Street in Camden Town, London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fillmore</span> Historic music venue in San Francisco, California

The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Factory</span> Andy Warhols New York City studio

The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstars. The original Factory was often referred to as the Silver Factory. In the studio, Warhol's workers would make silkscreens and lithographs under his direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Want to Take You Higher</span> 1969 single by Sly and the Family Stone

"I Want to Take You Higher" is a song by the soul/rock/funk band Sly and the Family Stone, the B-side to their Top 30 hit "Stand!". Unlike most of the other tracks on the Stand! album, "I Want to Take You Higher" is not a message song; instead, it is simply dedicated to music and the feeling one gets from music. Like nearly all of Sly & the Family Stone's songs, Sylvester "Sly Stone" Stewart was credited as the sole songwriter.

The Electric Banana was a nightclub in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning as a disco in the 1970s, it was a punk rock music venue from 1980 until 2000, and helped establish a place in alternative culture for the city of Pittsburgh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exploding Plastic Inevitable</span> Series of multimedia events by Andy Warhol

The Exploding Plastic Inevitable, sometimes simply called Plastic Inevitable or EPI, was a series of multimedia events organized by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey in 1966 and 1967, featuring musical performances by The Velvet Underground and Nico, screenings of Warhol's films, and dancing and performances by regulars of Warhol's Factory, especially Mary Woronov and Gerard Malanga. Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable is also the title of an 18-minute film by Ronald Nameth with recordings from one week of performances of the shows which were filmed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1966. In December 1966 Warhol included a one-off magazine called The Plastic Exploding Inevitable as part of the Aspen No. 3 package.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Tea Party (concert venue)</span>

The Boston Tea Party was a concert venue located first at 53 Berkeley Street in the South End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, and later relocated to 15 Lansdowne Street in the former site of competitor, the Ark, in Boston's Kenmore Square neighborhood, across the street from Fenway Park. It operated from 1967 to the end of 1970. Its closing was due in part to the increasing cost of hiring bands who were playing more and more at large outdoor festivals and arena rock concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightclub</span> Entertainment venue at nighttime

A nightclub is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discothèque with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who mixes recorded music. Nightclubs tend to be smaller than live music venues like theatres and stadiums, with few or no seats for customers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheetah (nightclub)</span> Nightclub

Cheetah was a nightclub located at 1686 Broadway near 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City. The club opened on April 27, 1966, and closed in the 1970s. The financial backing was provided by Borden Stevenson, son of politician Adlai Stevenson, and Olivier Coquelin. Robert Hilsky and Russell Hilsky were associated with the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Velvet Underground</span> American rock band

The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. It originally comprised singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. In 1965, MacLise was replaced by Moe Tucker, who played on most of the band's recordings. Though their integration of rock and the avant-garde resulted in little commercial success, they are now widely regarded as one of the most influential bands in rock, underground, experimental, and alternative music. Their provocative subject matter, musical experiments, and nihilistic attitude was also instrumental in the development of punk rock, new wave and several other genres.

<i>The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound</i>

The Velvet Underground and Nico: A Symphony of Sound is a 1966 American film by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey. The film was made at The Factory on January 3, 1966. It is 67 minutes long and was filmed in 16mm black and white.

<i>Andy Warhols Velvet Underground Featuring Nico</i> 1971 compilation album by The Velvet Underground

Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground featuring Nico is a compilation album of the Velvet Underground released by MGM Records in 1971 that features selections from the band's first three studio albums. Originally released as a double LP, the cover artwork and inside gatefold sleeve feature imitations of Andy Warhol's paintings of Coca-Cola bottles, but are credited to other artists on the back sleeve of the album. The album was released in the UK to capitalise on the interest from Warhol's Pork.

The Club Imperial was a nightclub at 6306-28 West Florissant Ave in St. Louis, Missouri. During the club's heyday in the 1950s through the 1960s, acts such as Ike & Tina Turner, Chuck Berry, and Bob Kuban and the In-Men performed at the Club Imperial.

The Honka Monka was a nightclub in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens, New York. It was originally opened by Marvin Gray in 1969 as a Latin club, but soon rock and soul acts were booked for the club. Acts who performed at the club include Ike & Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, Little Richard, and Aesop's Fables.

Cachaça was a nightclub located at 403 East 62nd Street in Manhattan. The upscale Brazilian-themed night spot opened in March 1977, located above the Hippopotamus disco. Both were owned by businessman Olivier Coquelin, nicknamed "Disco Daddy," who had opened Le Club, the first American discotheque, in 1960, followed by Cheetah in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Locarno Ballrooms</span> British chain of ballrooms

Locarno Ballrooms were a series of large public ballrooms located in England and Scotland and were represented in most major British cities.

References

  1. "Discotheques and Clubs of the 1970s/80s » MacArthur's Disco" Archived 2012-12-09 at archive.today at DiscoMusic.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2009.
  2. 1 2 Stern, Robert A. M.; Mellins, Thomas; Fishman, David (1995). New York 1960: Architecture and Urbanism Between the Second World War and the Bicentennial . New York: Monacelli Press. p. 258. ISBN   1-885254-02-4. OCLC   32159240. OL   1130718M.
  3. Lobenthal, Joel. Radical Rags: Fashions of the Sixties (New York: Abbeville Press, 1990)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "19-25 St. Marks Place" Archived 2010-10-04 at the Wayback Machine at the Lower East Side History Project
  5. Ankeny, Jason "Profile of Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys" at www.allmusic.com.
  6. 1 2 3 Gansberg, Martin (August 8, 1971). "Electric Circus Turns Off Lights for the Last Time (Published 1971)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  7. "Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search".
  8. "Recollections of the Electric Circus: "If you remembered much of what happened, you weren't really there."". The Bowery Boys: New York City History. April 22, 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-01-20. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  9. "Electric Circus, Electric Ear". Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  10. Nevius, Michelle; Nevius, James (2009-03-24). Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City. Simon and Schuster. p. 268. ISBN   978-1-4165-9393-5.
  11. "Talent on Stage: Ike & Tina Turner / Sam & Dave Revue" (PDF). Cash Box: 42. December 13, 1969.
  12. Henderson, David (1968-09-01). "Sly and the Family Stone". pastemagazine.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  13. 1 2 Mastropolo, Frank (September 17, 2013). "A Look Back at the Electric Circus, the Greatest Show on St. Marks Place". Bedford + Bowery. Archived from the original on 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  14. "Raven advertisement". Billboard. September 6, 1969. p. 5.
  15. "NEW YORK—Out Of The Ordinary Visionary" (PDF). Cash Box. October 12, 1968. p. 26.
  16. Lopez, Vincent (December 4, 2019). "The Story Of How Blue Öyster Cult Started". Society Of Rock. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  17. "Rock Island Pitch Set". Billboard. September 26, 1970. p. 36.
  18. Lawrence, Tim (2009-10-23). Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 1973-1992. Duke University Press. p. 59. ISBN   978-0-8223-9085-5.
  19. "Talent In Action". Billboard. April 24, 1971. p. 24.
  20. Matt Zoller Seitz (April 22, 2013). "Mad Men Recap: The Electric Circus". Vulture.
  21. Alex Ross (April 21, 2013). "The Rest is Noise: Electric Circus, Electric Ear". The New Yorker.